Archive for the ‘Donna Howard’ Category

Too often we see public officials in Texas use faith as a political weapon against their opponents. Just as appalling is that so many of those officials seemingly dismiss the reality that their diverse constituencies include people from many different faith traditions. But some officials do show real respect for faith and the religious freedom and diversity of people across Texas. A good example of the latter came on Tuesday, when state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, offered an invocation at the beginning of the Texas Legislature’s special session. Rep. Howard is a former member of the Texas Freedom Network’s Board of Directors. We couldn’t be more proud of her.

Recent controversies make clear the need to take ideology and partisanship out of races for the state board, Rep. Howard said in a press release announcing her proposed legislation, House Bill 420:

The current system is obviously not working as well as our students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers deserve. SBOE districts are some of the geographically largest districts in the state, yet these races attract little public attention and candidates have a hard time raising money to communicate their message. Voters go to the polls armed with minimal information on the issues and end up casting their ballot based on party affiliation. It’s time to encourage candidates to run more independently so voters can make informed decisions.

Dunbar’s remarks have sparked a firestorm of protest, with newspapers, commentators and others calling for her resignation from the board. The state board decides what more than 4.6 million Texas children learn in their public schools.

Under Rep. Howard’s bill, candidates for the state board would no longer be able to hide behind party labels. All candidates would run as independents, and the contests would be featured as separate nonpartisan races on the general election ballot. Rep. Howard believes such elections would attract more attention from voters and help them learn more about the positions candidates take on important issues.

The idea that Texans — if provided with information on the issues — would elect someone who has publicly declared the state’s education system “unconstitutional” and “tyrannical” is absurd. We value our children’s education too highly.

HB 420 is part of a package of reform legislation Rep. Howard is proposing. She also wants to transfer authority over the Permanent School Fund from the state board to an independent body. State board members are not required to have any financial expertise even though they are charged with managing a fund that currently has about $17.5 billion.

The board’s role in overseeing the Permanent School Fund has generated controversy in the past. In 2002, for example, far-right board member David Bradley, R-Beaumont Buna, was indicted with two others (no longer on the board) for violating the state’s law on open meetings by privately meeting with financial advisors to discuss the fund.

Sources tell TFN Insider that other state lawmakers might offer legislation that would severely restrict the state board’s authority over setting curriculum standards and adopting textbooks. For many years publishers have been forced to censor textbook content because of political and ideological objections of board members.